OBJECTIVE To form an expert consensus on the clinical application of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors （DTIs） in patients during the perioperative period. METHODS Led by Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital （the Affiliated Hospital of UESTC）， a multidisciplinary working group was established. Through literature review and the Delphi method， clinical questions related to the rational perioperative use of parenteral DTIs were identified. A structured design was adopted using the “Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome” framework； systematic searches were conducted in CNKI， Medline， Embase and other databases. Relevant evidence from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies was included and synthesized. Evidence quality was assessed using the Grades of Recommendations Assessment，Development and Evaluation （GRADE） approach， and recommendations were formulated through multiple rounds of Delphi surveys and expert consensus meetings. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS Seven recommendations （each with an expert consensus rate exceeding 90%） on the use of parenteral DTIs in perioperative patients were developed. These recommendations specify drug selection， dosing ranges， key monitoring points， and safety management strategies for parenteral DTIs in various scenarios， including the perioperative period of ventricular assist device implantation， the perioperative period of cardiac surgery， perioperative patients with lower-extremity atherosclerotic disease， the perioperative period of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome， the perioperative period of carotid artery stenting in patients with carotid stenosis， the perioperative period of patients with right heart thrombosis， and patients who develop related thrombosis and dysfunction after a central venous catheter insertion. In addition， warning and management pathways for perioperative bleeding and thrombotic events were proposed. This expert consensus， which is formulated based on the best available evidence， provides evidence-based guidance for standardized and individualized use of parenteral DTIs in perioperative period.

ObjectiveTo explore the construction of a risk assessment indicator system for common infectious diseases in Shanghai’s childcare institutions, and to provide a reference standard for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, staff training and system construction in childcare institutions. MethodsBy combining the Delphi method with the literature review and expert consultation, the hierarchical dimensions and items at all levels of the risk assessment indicator system for common infectious diseases in Shanghai’s childcare institutions were constructed, and the weighting coefficients were determined by analytic hierarchy process. ResultsA total of 14 experts from the field of childcare institutions, infectious disease control, child healthcare and health supervision participated in the Delphi consultation. The system consisted of four core dimensions: organizational management, team building, hardware equipment, and infectious disease surveillance and disposal, with the weighting coefficients of 0.285 9, 0.261 6, 0.204 3 and 0.248 2, respectively. The evaluation indicator system consisted of 4 primary indicators, 15 secondary indicators and 45 tertiary items. The positivity coefficients of the two rounds of Delphi consultation were 0.93 and 1.00, the authority coefficients were both 0.81, and the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance were 0.44 and 0.49, respectively (P<0.01). ConclusionThe high expert engagement and coordination indicate that organizational management and team building remain the critical priorities for infectious disease prevention and control in Shanghai’s childcare institutions. It is recommended to strengthen financial investment, improve institutional mechanisms, and enhance personnel reserves and capacity building for healthcare teachers, thereby systematically upgrading the infectious disease control capabilities of childcare institutions.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, is characterized by high mortality and recurrence rates. Common treatments include hepatectomy, liver transplantation, ablation therapy, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). While exhibiting specific advantages, these approaches are associated with varying degrees of adverse effects. To alleviate patients' suffering and burdens, it is crucial to explore additional treatments and elucidate the pathogenesis of HCC, laying a foundation for the development of new TCM-based drugs. With emerging research on gut microbiota, it has been revealed that microbiota plays a vital role in the development of HCC by influencing intestinal barrier function, microbial metabolites, and immune regulation. TCM, with its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics, has been increasingly recognized as a vital therapeutic treatment for HCC, particularly in patients at intermediate or advanced stages, by prolonging survival and improving quality of life. Recent global studies demonstrate that TCM exerts anti-HCC effects by modulating gut microbiota, restoring intestinal barrier function, regulating microbial composition and its metabolites, suppressing inflammation, and enhancing immune responses, thereby inhibiting the malignant phenotype of HCC. This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota contributes to the development and progression of HCC and highlight the regulatory effects of TCM, addressing the current gap in systematic understanding of the "TCM-gut microbiota-HCC" axis. The findings provide theoretical support for integrating TCM with western medicine in HCC treatment and promote the transition from basic research to precision clinical therapy through microbiota-targeted drug development and TCM-based interventions.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology* ; Liver Neoplasms/microbiology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in response evaluation and relapse monitoring for patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). METHODS: The clinical characteristics, efficacy and survival of 38 PMBCL patients in our hospital from January 2010 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The ctDNA monitoring was conducted by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: Among the 38 patients, 26 cases were female, and 32 cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I-II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 74.7% and 61.7%, respectively. Males and those with high aaIPI scores (3 points) had a relatively poor prognosis. The NGS results of 23 patients showed that STAT6 (65.2%), SOCS1 (56.5%), and TNFAIP3 (56.5%) were the most common mutated genes. Patients with stable disease (SD)/progressive disease (PD) exhibited enrichment in cell cycle, FoxO, and TNF signaling pathways. A total of 29 patients underwent end-of-treatment PET/CT (EOT PET/CT), and 16 of them received ctDNA monitoring with 12 negative. Among 6 patients with EOT PET/CT positive (Deauville 4), 4 underwent ctDNA monitoring, and 3 of them were negative, being still in continuous remission without any subsequent anti-tumor therapy. CONCLUSION CtDNA may be combined with PET/CT to assess efficacy, monitor relapse, and guide treatment of PMBCL.
Humans ; Circulating Tumor DNA/blood* ; Female ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Mutation

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) participates in the phosphorylation and desensitization of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), impacting various biological processes such as inflammation and cell proliferation. Dysregulated expression and activity of GRK2 have been reported in multiple cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether and how GRK2 regulates synovial hyperplasia and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) proliferation is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the regulation of GRK2 and its biological function in RA. We found that GRK2 transmembrane activity was increased in FLSs of RA patients and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Additionally, we noted a positive correlation between high GRK2 expression on the cell membrane and serological markers associated with RA and CIA. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry and pull-down analyses revealed tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) as a novel substrate of GRK2. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and molecular docking assays determined that the C-terminus of GRK2 binds to the C-terminus of TRAF2 at the Gln340 residue. GRK2 knockdown and the GRK2 inhibitor CP-25 attenuated synovial hyperplasia and FLS proliferation in CIA both in vitro and in vivo by decreasing GRK2 membrane expression and activity. Mechanistically, increased GRK2 transmembrane activity contributed to the recruitment of TRAF2 on the cell membrane, promoting GRK2-TRAF2 interactions that facilitate the recruitment of the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM47 to TRAF2. This enhanced TRAF2 Lys63 polyubiquitylation and induced nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, leading to synovial hyperplasia and abnormal proliferation of FLSs. Our study provides a mechanistic and preclinical rationale for further evaluation of GRK2 as a therapeutic target for RA.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Humans ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic/genetics* ; Pilot Projects ; Genetic Therapy/methods* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Lentivirus/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase/metabolism* ; Adolescent

Objective:To identify the risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 141 AML patients who underwent HID-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was analyzed using the Fine-Gray competing risk model, with relapse and death as competing events, to compare differences between groups. Potential risk factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine their independent effects on aGVHD.Results:Among the 141 patients, 86 (61.0%) were male and 55 (39.0%) were female, with a median age at transplantation of 34 years. Within 100 days post-transplant, 59 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, whereas 86 patients experienced no or grade Ⅰ aGVHD (the grade 0-Ⅰ aGVHD group) . Survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival was 68.7% (95% CI: 57.7%-81.9%) in the grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group, compared with 78.8% (95% CI: 70.4%-88.3%) in the grade 0 - Ⅰ aGVHD group, with the difference not being statistically significant ( P=0.190) . Univariable analysis identified donor age ( P=0.020, HR=1.020, 95% CI: 1.000-1.040) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.033, HR=1.980, 95% CI: 1.160-3.380) as risk factors for grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Multivariable analysis confirmed that donor age ( P=0.005, HR=1.026, 95% CI: 1.008-1.047) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.002, HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.354-4.037) were independent risk factors for aGVHD. Patients receiving grafts from donors aged >45 years had a significantly higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD compared with those receiving grafts from donors ≤45 years [54.7% (95% CI: 42.3%-67.0%) vs 31.6% (95% CI: 21.0%-42.1%) , P=0.006]. Similarly, patients with the female donor-male recipient sex combination had a higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than those with other sex combinations [56.8% (95% CI: 40.4%-73.1%) vs 36.9% (95% CI: 27.5%-46.3%) , P=0.015]. Conclusion:Older donor age and the female donor-male recipient sex combination remain independent risk factors for aGVHD in patients with AML undergoing HID-HSCT.

Objective:To explore the genetic etiology of fetal skeletal dysplasia using whole exome sequencing (WES) and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) techniques, and the feasibility of using WES as the first-tier method for such fetuses.Methods:Seventy four fetuses with skeletal dysplasia detected by prenatal ultrasound at the Genetic Testing Center of the Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University from January 2020 to August 2024 were selected as the study subjects. Fetal muscle and peripheral blood samples of the pregnant women and their spouses were collected and subjected to WES analysis. CNV-seq was carried out on all fetal muscle tissue samples. And the results were compared with the CNVs indicated by WES. Genetic etiologies were analyzed across different subtypes of skeletal dysplasia. And the feasibility of using WES as the first-tier genetic test for similar fetuses was assessed, in addition with a systematic cost-effectiveness analysis. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No.: QFELL-YJ-2024-201).Results:A total of 50 fetuses were diagnosed, which yielded a diagnostic rate of 67.57%. These included 6 chromosomal aneuploidies, 4 chromosomal CNVs and 40 monogenic disorders. The monogenic diseases had involved 46 variant sites in 23 pathogenic genes, among which 12 were unreported previously, including MYH3: c. 735T>C, ALPL: c. 1324C>T, NEK9: c. 1973G>A, MAGEL2: c. 2024_2025del, LMBR1: c. 423+ 4914A>C, NEB: c. 21273_21276del, COL1A1: c. 2651G>C and c. 2758G>C, ASPM: c. 2473delinsGA, TBX5: c. 704G>A, DYNC2H1: c. 10893del, and DYNC2I2: c. 1270C>T. Substantial concordance was reached between WES-derived CNV calls and CNV-seq findings. No clinically significant CNV was exclusively detected by CNV-seq. Cost-effectiveness modeling demonstrated that implementing WES as the first-tier genetic testing method could reduce the total expenditure when WES unit cost remained below 6.4 folds that of the CNV-seq. Conclusion:Genetic variants including single nucleotide variations (SNV) of monogenic disorders, chromosomal aneuploidies and genomic CNVs are important causes for fetal skeletal dysplasia. WES is an accurate and efficient method for analyzing the etiology of fetal skeletal dysplasia, particularly in those with a family history of similar phenotype or maternal history of adverse pregnancies.